


Arranged Marriage

by bilgegungoren00



Series: Her Prince, His Princess [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Prince!Mon-El, Princess AU, Princess!Kara, royals au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-14
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-02-02 11:15:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12725574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bilgegungoren00/pseuds/bilgegungoren00
Summary: “I’m getting married, Mon-El.” She didn’t even want to see his reaction at that. “My parents arranged a marriage for me. With the… With the heir of some kingdom.”Her Prince, His Princess Part 2





	1. The Heir of Another Kingdom

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello y'all!! soooo here's the second part of my princess AU, because apparently I love that AU so much and my brain can't let go of it. though this might've taken an angsty turn......oops. still, i hope you like it :) enjoy!
> 
> p.s. i would really recommend reading part 1 before this for context :)

“Arranged marriage?” Kara blinked r. “An _arranged marriage_?”

Her mother seemed enthusiastic as she nodded and crossed her arms over the table, right next to the plate of muffins. And Kara had just been so excited to munch on a couple of them just five seconds ago…before Eliza blurted out the words that turned her world upside down. _Your father and I arranged you a marriage with a prince_.

“Yes. We figured out, since you’ve turned eighteen, it would be in your best interest to marry the heir of another kingdom.” Kara blinked again at that, her lips parted in surprise. Marry a prince. She’d just turned eighteen…and they were already talking about her marrying a prince. When her sister wasn’t even _married_ yet.

Granted, Alex was gay, so marrying a prince was kind of out of question, but their parents certainly weren’t forcing a princess on her. And Alex was supposed to be the heir! Why was _she_ marrying before her _older_ _sister_?

“It’s not all settled yet, but we hope to arrange everything by May and prepare a summer wedding for you two.” May. That was only a month away. May, and then summer, and then…the marriage. She would actually be getting _married_.

“…What?” She should’ve probably asked that question a couple of lines before, but she’d just…she’d been caught too off guard. She wasn’t expecting this. Not now. She’d been living in such a la la land in the last couple of months that…she’d forgotten all of her princess-y obligations. _Of course_ she’d known that eventually she’d have to marry a prince. Of course she’d known it would be sooner rather than later. And of course her parents had discussed it with her before. Yet… With everything that had been going on in her life…

Her mother frowned at her utter confusion. “Kara, I thought we discussed this before. We are so lucky that an heir of another kingdom agreed to marry you. Not only it’ll strengthen our alliance with them, but one day, you’ll be ruling beside him. Wasn’t that what you wanted?”

That was, in her mother’s defense, true. Ever since she was young, they were gunning for a marriage with an heir, even though technically she was second in line. Sixteen year old her would’ve been _ecstatic_ to had been marrying an actual heir, but now… Things had changed. _She_ had changed. She didn’t want to be the perfect princess or powerful queen now. She didn’t want to marry someone for alliance and hope that ruling a country would make her happy enough. She wanted to be normal. She wanted to date someone before she actually married them, and she wanted to do it when she was possibly older than her teenage years. And…she wanted to be with someone that she actually wanted to be with. She wanted someone that actually loved her.

_She wanted Mon-El._

She couldn’t stop the thought from sneaking into her mind, and yet… She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t implied Mon-El when she thought about someone that loved her. Ever since that ball eight months ago…that ball that changed everything for her… They’d been meeting as frequently as they could, in secret. Krypton and Daxam were neighbors, and with the newly built high-speed train that connected the two kingdoms it was easy to be in their secret spot in less than an hour. And if they couldn’t, there were always texting or calling. She didn’t remember a day that had passed without hearing from Mon-El one way or another.

And at this point…she couldn’t imagine her life without him. She loved him. _She loved him._ How could she just marry someone else?

But of course, telling her mom _that_ would probably end in disaster. She instead forced her mind to come up with something else. “Yes,” she answered hesitantly, tapping her fingers on the table. “I wanted that, but… But isn’t it a bit early? I mean…even Alex isn’t married yet.”

“Alex is the heir of Krypton,” Eliza explained as if she was talking to a toddler. “She will be ruling the kingdom whether she marries or not. It is more important for _you_ to marry the heir of another country. Unless… Unless there is a problem?”

Kara lifted her head to look at her mother, the words on the tip of her tongue. _Yes,_ she could say. _There’s someone else. There’s Mon-El. The heir of Daxam. I could marry him. I could_ be _with him._

And if her life was actually in her hands…maybe she would. If Mon-El wanted it too…she wouldn’t say no.

She felt her stomach drop as she clenched her fists on her lap. “There is no problem,” she whispered. Her nails were digging into her palms. “The marriage is a…is a great idea.”

She glanced at her mother to see a proud smile on her face. “I knew you would like it. I’ll talk to Jeremiah to settle things down.” She patted Kara on the back before leaving the dining room. Kara could only watch her leave before she could even have the strength to lift her arms.

Her hands were shaking when she reached for her phone. After everything, she knew that there was one thing she needed to do: talk to Mon-El face-to-face.

She quickly typed him a quick text.

_Meet up tonight. 8 p.m._

The first tear had already slid down her cheek before his answer came.

**Of course, princess.**

* * *

Kara ducked under a tree branch, walking to the deeper—and at this time of the night, darker—parts of the park. The spot where she was supposed to meet Mon-El was only a few paces away. She directed her gaze to the ground to avoid making too much sound.

And, she assumed, that was why she hadn’t noticed the person approaching her from behind…until their arms wrapped around her waist. A small scream escaped her lips involuntarily, even though she recognized almost immediately to whom the warmth of the arms and the small chuckle reverberating through her belonged to. Her fear had already turned to anger by the time Mon-El stopped spinning her and put her down.

She whirled around to face him with a glare. “Mon-El!” He was laughing even when she put her hands on his chest and pushed him away. “How many times did I tell you _not to do that?”_

“A hundred times?” She hit him again.

“Is it only me that realizes these meetings should be _secret,_ or are you ignoring that little fact on purpose?”

“But you’re so adorable when you’re scared.” A grin spread on his face, and Kara tried—she _really_ tried—not to smile, but it was just impossible. She had to press her lips together.

“You’re insufferable,” she muttered, even as he grabbed her wrists and brought her hands over his chest, even as he stepped forward, even as she felt a smile pulling at her lips. She put her hands on his shoulders. “You _are_ insufferable.”

“But you still love me.” His voice was hoarse as he leaned forward to press a kiss on his lips, urging her to agree with him. As if he needed that confirmation. As if he didn’t know she’d fallen head over heels with him months ago.

_I love you._ She’d been so confident when she said those words, knowing with all her heart that they was true. _I love you, Mon-El of Daxam._ She’d never forget the smile that spread on his face, the feeling of his forehead against hers, or the way he ran his fingers through her hair.

_You’ve just made me the happiest guy in the world,_ he’d whispered back, making her chuckle lightly.

_How could you possibly know that?_ she’d asked him. There were billions of guys in the world right now, and surely there would be someone that just stumbled upon a miracle and was now ecstatic. But even beyond that, she meant it as a joke to make him laugh, but instead, a serious look had appeared on his face. Serious enough to let her know he wasn’t joking.

_Because I love you, too,_ he’d answered simply. He’d loved her so much that just the fact that she loved him back was enough to make him happy.

They’d been happy, weren’t they? So, so happy in the last couple of months, until…

Kara had to pull back from the kiss when what her mother said in the morning came to her mind. How could she be happy with Mon-El…when she would marry someone else in a matter of months? But how could she also let this go when even the _thought_ of it was enough to make her feel like someone was ripping out her heart?

She could feel Mon-El’s confusion as she dropped her hands from his shoulders and looked up at him. She didn’t even need to say the next words for him to know something was wrong.

“We need to talk.”

He blinked as she wrapped her arms around herself and stepped back, needing to put some distance between them to pull her thoughts together. There was nothing happy about his light chuckle.

“Nothing good ever comes after that.” _You don’t say,_ Kara thought as she played with the sleeve of her shirt. “Are you… Are you breaking up with me?”

This time, though, her eyes shot up before she could even think about something. “What? No.” She shook her head quickly when she saw his pale face. How could he think that she was breaking up with him after…after everything? “Mon-El, I’m not breaking up with you. How could you think that?”

His shoulders slumped with relief. “I didn’t know what to think—Kara?” His words were cut when he looked over at her, presumably seeing the tears pooling in her eyes. She couldn’t help herself. She hated crying, she especially hated crying in front of Mon-El, but thinking about what she might have to do… “Hey, hey, hey, what happened?” He lightly grabbed her arms and ducked her chin to catch her gaze. “What’s going on? Talk to me. Please.”

She blinked away her tears and glanced at him through her lashes. “I’m getting married, Mon-El.” She didn’t even want to see his reaction at that. “My parents arranged a marriage for me. With the… With the heir of some kingdom.” She wrapped her arms around herself when she suddenly felt cold, fixing her gaze to a spot on the ground.

Silence stretched between them after those words, so much so that Kara could hear even the softest sound. She fearfully lifted her head to look at Mon-El. He seemed too shocked to open his mouth, and even in the dimness of the night she could see the paleness of his face.

“Please say something,” she begged, hating the way her voice shook, but hating what she just revealed even more.

Mon-El turned his eyes away before he even had the courage to open her mouth. “Do you want it?” he asked softly, so softly that Kara barely heard it. She quickly shook her head.

“No. _No,_ Mon-El. I love _you_.” Yet even those words weren’t enough to comfort Mon-El…though could she really blame him for it? Her love wouldn’t change anything if her parents went through with this marriage. “I’m only ever gonna love you. But do we have—“

“Don’t say that,” he almost begged, yet she still forced the words out.

“Do we really have a choice?”

“Kara—“ He stepped forward, closing the distance between them as she continued.

“This was risky even when we were both single. But when I marry someone, if we’re discovered, you know what will happen.” His hands froze right above hers as he paled. She had to clench her teeth to keep them from clattering.

“Kara…” he pleaded again, yet this time, there was a tint of desperation in his voice. She fisted her hands before she continued.

“We will be stripped off of our titles.” Her voice was so low that she had no idea how Mon-El was even hearing her. “We will be exiled from our countries. We won’t be able to see our parents again, Mon-El. We won’t be able to see our _home._ ”

“ _You_ are my home,” he objected, his voice strong and unyielding. A smile pulled her lips. She appreciated his effort, his vehement refusal to lose her, but she knew if they continued on this path… If they did end up getting exiled… He would be losing something special to him. She might be his home, but Daxam was his home too, just as both him and Krypton was her home.

“You are my home, too, Mon-El,” she whispered, reaching forward to hold his hand. “But Krypton is also my home, just as Daxam is yours. Can you tell me for _sure_ that you would be happy if you were exiled?”

She could see that he wanted to say yes _desperately_ from his eyes, but…it wouldn’t be the truth. Instead, he just changed the subject.

“Are we breaking up?”

Her heart stuttered painfully in her chest, screaming in denial. Her voice seemed almost too quiet compared to that.

“We don’t have a choice.”

The first tear slid down her cheek with that. Mon-El quickly reached up to wipe it away, taking her face into his soft hands. Tears had filled his eyes too, so much so that his eyes looked more blue than gray. “I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered with a shake of his head. She tried to laugh through her tears and put her hands on his chest.

“I don’t want to lose you either.” In fact, right now, all she wanted was to pull him close and press her lips on his, make him—and herself—forget every single problem in their lives that was keeping them apart. It was a struggle to stop herself. “Mon-El—“

“Don’t say it.” He stopped her before she could even get a word in. “Not yet. We don’t have to do it just yet.” He seemed so determined as he pushed her hair away from her face that she didn’t have it in her heart to cut his words. She didn’t have it in her to tell him it would never work. “We still have time. We can figure it out, Kara. Together. We can figure it out.”

“Mon-El—“

“Please. _Please.”_ He bit his lip to keep himself from crying…unsuccessfully. And those tears that finally started slipping down his cheeks… They became her undoing. “You’re the best thing that happened to me. I don’t want to lose you. _Please.”_

And even though every instinct in her body was telling her that this wouldn’t end well, Kara found herself nodding. “Okay. Not yet. We can figure it out.”

Oh, how she wished that was true, especially as she moved her hands to his cheeks and stroked his hair. She couldn’t even imagine being this close to someone else, let alone marrying them.

Mon-El offered her a shaky smile before he leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him close.

“We’ll figure it out,” he repeated again, yet somehow, he didn’t sound as confident as a couple of seconds ago. Somehow, she couldn’t help thinking he was only saying it to convince her—or himself. She couldn’t help thinking…he didn’t really believe that was possible either.

He didn’t believe there was a way out of this.


	2. Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i thought we all needed a bit of fluff after this week's Supergirl episode (i still haven't passed the "don't touch me it hurts" phase) soooo... hope you like this :)

__

_We don’t have a choice._

Mon-El leaned back on his couch as he played with the bracelet in his hands. The bracelet Kara had given him the first night that they met, a reminder of that one night they spent not as the Prince of Daxam and the Princess of Krypton, but as Kara and Mon-El.

_I’m getting married, Mon-El._

They’d believed that night that it might be the last time they saw each other, at least until another ball or something. At least, _he’d_ believed that, until he checked his pockets—the pockets of the clothes Kara had “borrowed” from her father to give him—when he returned home…and found a piece of paper there. A paper with her phone number written on it.

_Can you tell me for_ sure _that you would be happy if you were exiled?_

He’d texted her immediately, faster than any other girl he’d been with. But…Kara was different than all those other girls. She was the first person he wanted to spend time with after sex. She was the first person that could earn a genuine laugh from him rather than all those fake smiles. She was the first person that saw him as Mon-El and not just as another prince.

She made him feel normal in a way he never did.

_We won’t be able to see our parents again, Mon-El. We won’t be able to see our_ home _._

He let out a shuddered breath before he straightened up. _It isn’t fair,_ he couldn’t help thinking. It wasn’t fair that Kara was marrying someone she didn’t even know for the sake of her kingdom. It wasn’t fair that she had to choose between love and duty. It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t have everything she wanted when she deserved it and more. It wasn’t fair…

It wasn’t fair that she couldn’t be with someone that she loved, someone that _loved_ her.

He almost wanted to throw the bracelet to the wall, yet he stopped himself. He didn’t want to destroy something Kara gave him, something that symbolized their relationship and its normalcy. Instead, he just slipped it onto his wrist.

He could’ve asked his parents to propose a marriage with Kara. He toyed with the idea in his mind far more frequently than he liked to admit. He was an heir too, and he was pretty sure Kara’s mother would be ecstatic to strengthen the alliance between Krypton and Daxam. He was an heir…and that was exactly the problem. His parents would _never_ let him marry anyone other than an heir of another kingdom. He was afraid that even _mentioning_ Kara’s name would ruin everything instead of fixing it. Besides…it wasn’t all over yet. _They_ weren’t over yet. They’d promised each other that they would try to figure this out, as impossible as it looked. He’d only talk to his parents when he had no other choice.

He sighed, shaking off those thoughts when he felt his shoulders being weighed down by them, and instead stood up to make his way to the bathroom…at least before his door was pushed open. He turned to see his mother standing there.

She didn’t even need to say the next words for him to know she wanted to talk about a serious matter.

“Mon-El. We need to have a talk.”

* * *

Mon-El had never been _that_ interested in Daxam’s politics. Sure, he had his lessons, he learned the fundamentals, but beyond that… He was mostly happy with just being a normal teenager who didn’t have to worry about going to a war with this kingdom or strengthening the alliance with that kingdom. But even _he_ knew the numbers on the paper his parents shoved in his hands weren’t good.

“Our trade income is decreasing?” he asked, lifting his head to look at his mother. She had a grave but cold look on her face as she nodded—granted, she always seemed a bit cold to him, but there was no way he could miss how tense she also was.

“Unfortunately, with the new technological advancements in Krypton, our supplies became…less attractive.” He scrunched up his face. He knew Krypton had been making some incredible advancements lately—not from his lessons, per se, but from Kara, who tended to get overly excited about anything science related and ramble on and on about it during their secret dates. His heart ached briefly before he turned his attention to his mother.

“I’m assuming you didn’t just call me here to tell me we need new supplies, and fast.” He knew her mother. If the things were going this bad, she would’ve seen it weeks ago, and she would’ve already found a solution to it. He just assumed _he_ was part of the solution, if he was here.

“You’re right. We do need new supplies. And to accomplish that, we need the advancements in Krypton.” She pushed forward another bunch of papers, which he assumed contained all the information about their need, costs, and possible incomes, towards Mon-El before she continued. “I talked with King Jeremiah and Queen Eliza, and they agreed to go to trade with us…under one condition.”

His mother had a sneer on her face that made him assume she didn’t like any of this…but she also had no choice.

“You’ll be marrying Princess Kara, the younger princess of Krypton.”

Mon-El’s gaze shot up to his mother. _“What?”_

He must’ve heart it wrong. His mother couldn’t have just claimed… It had to be a dream. It had to be a dream, right? Yes, Kara was marrying someone, and yes, technically he was an heir, but it was just…it was impossible. He knew his mother, Rhea Gand, and Rhea Gand would _never_ agree to loosen her grip on her power…unless she was desperate. The numbers _had_ looked really bad, even to his untrained eyes, yet still…

_He_ was marrying Kara? _He_ was the promised prince?

He had to blink several times to _process_ that bit of information. He couldn’t even find anything to say as he opened and closed his mouth…and maybe that was why his mother had mistaken his silence for disgust instead of shock.

“I am not happy about it either, Mon-El. However, you’ll be the King of Daxam someday, and you’ll have to make sacrifices for your kingdom more often than not, sacrifices that might hurt you deeply too. And this will be your first duty.” Her voice wasn’t soft at all, indicating that even if he didn’t want this marriage, he wouldn’t have a choice in it.

But…it was Kara. He would actually be marrying… _Kara._ He’d truly believed it was impossible. He’d believed his parents would never, _ever_ let her marry a younger princess, let alone a _Kryptonian_ princess. And yet…somehow, everything had aligned perfectly to carve a path that allowed him and Kara to be together. _Married._

_He_ was marrying Kara. _He_ was the promised prince.

He had to force the smile off of his face and instead put on a grim expression. Krypton might not have deterred his mother from making this arrangement, but knowing he was actually happy about it might.

“Yes, mother,” he said as he bowed his head, biting the inside of his cheek. Still, the corners of his lips were twitching even as his mother stood up.

“Good. We’ll be going to Krypton tomorrow to meet the princess. I want you on your best behavior.” Mon-El lifted his head only when her footsteps faded, this time not being able to fight the smile off of his face.

* * *

_Damn that prince,_ Kara thought as she rested her cheek on her hand and stared at the door of the room blankly. _Damn this meeting. Damn all of this._ She sighed, playing with the sleeve of her dress, waiting impatiently to be over with today. She was wearing the same blue gown she wore the day she met Mon-El—a little bit of rebelliousness in her own way. The prince that would walk through the door in a couple of seconds could be the _nicest_ guy in the world, and she would still hate him. She refused to even _consider_ falling in love with anyone other than Mon-El.

“Kara,” Eliza uttered quietly under her breath. “Straighten up.” Sighing, she squared her shoulders, despite every cell in her body wanting to just say screw it and walk away. Her mother had told her many times just how important this marriage was. She didn’t want to blow it by being all bitter and uninterested.

Krypton before yourself, right?

It was just… The day she was supposed to meet her “prince” came a bit sooner than she expected. She wasn’t prepared. She just…wasn’t prepared to have her life turn upside down. She wasn’t prepared to lose Mon-El. When her mother came into her room yesterday and told her there’d be a meeting with the promised prince, it was like the rug was pulled right from underneath her feet. She was free falling now, the ground looming under her, and…she was terrified of the moment she would crash.

She was terrified that it would happen whenever the guy walked through those doors.

She clenched her fists, leaning back on her seat as she waited for those doors to open. It should be any minute now. Any minute—

Her shoulders tightened when she finally saw the doors move, revealing—

_No way._

She shot up to her feet, not out of respect whatsoever but purely from shock. It couldn’t be… It was _impossible._ Not that she didn’t entertained the idea of the promised prince being _him_ , but he _very clearly_ had stated that his parents would _never_ agree to something like this. But then how was he here? _Why_ was he here?

_Mon-El._

His eyes found hers the moment he stepped into the throne room, as if he felt her presence, and a smile pulled his lips. Not one of those smiles he offered her in the last couple of days, after he found out about the arranged marriage. No, this smile wasn’t tight or forced at all, this was happy, elated, _relieved…_ It had actually reached his eyes for once. He even offered her a wink; a _wink,_ as if everything was back to normal, as if they wouldn’t have to break up—

Wait. _Wait a minute._ He was _here._ He was walking into the throne room with his parents…while she was waiting for her _promised prince_. And her parents didn’t seem weirded out by it. They weren’t calling the guards, they weren’t asking him and his parents to be escorted outside… Which could only mean…

_Mon-El_ was the promised prince?

Mon-El was the promised prince.

Her heart froze with shock for a couple of moments, until it started slamming against her ribs. She was almost too afraid to smile, too afraid that once she _acknowledged_ what was going on, it would all turn out to be a dream. She quickly pinched herself just to make sure—

“Your majesties,” Jeremiah said, taking her out of her thoughts and bowing his head only slightly as a greeting. Even as Kara absentmindedly bowed, her eyes were on Mon-El.

_Is this real?_ she tried to ask him with her eyes. _I’m not dreaming, right?_

He offered her a smile and a nod. It was a small nod, yet the meaning behind it was deeper than anything else he could’ve told her at that point. That nod… It promised that they wouldn’t have to break up. It promised that nothing would ever get in their way anymore. It promised a lifetime together, happy and loved, just as she wanted, just as she always wished for. It was an effort to fight the smile forcing its way on her face, and instead, feign ignorance.

It probably would be better if her parents didn’t know about the secret year-long relationship she and Mon-El had.

“…I think it would be better if Mon-El and Kara spend some time alone together while we finalize the arrangements.” Eliza was saying when Kara finally managed to break Mon-El’s stare and turn to her mother. She must’ve missed a big chunk of the conversation—it wasn’t _her fault_ that she was caught _completely off guard_ with Mon-El’s appearance—and she truly hoped that her blush wasn’t too visible to show that. She cleared her throat with a very unladylike manner.

“I would like that, mother,” she muttered, her eyes flickering to Mon-El inadvertently. She stepped down her throne towards Mon-El with her father’s confirmatory nod, trying not to feel awkward—or a bit too excited—as she bowed her head to Mon-El.

“My lady.”

This time, she was _sure_ her cheeks were visibly tinted red. An amused look crossed Mon-El’s eyes at that, a look that made her want to punch him, yet she held herself back until they were alone.

“Shall we?” she retorted, her voice poisonous, and didn’t even wait for him to answer as she led the way to the doors. She could almost feel her mother’s proud glance on her back. Taking control of the situation and asserting her position. That was what her parents always taught her.

She kept her head high and her shoulders squared, even as she felt Mon-El falling into step right next to her, even as they went out the throne room and the doors closed behind them, even when she was _sure_ they were alone. She could feel his hand brushing hers, urging her to look at him, to look at him and just _say something._ But she bid her time. She bid her time until they were out of the castle, until they reached the garden and were surrounded with nothing but trees and flowers.

Only _then_ she spun around to face him. _“You’re_ the promised prince!”

He laughed at her excitement, and only when his fingers wrapped around her wrists that she realized she’d grasped his shoulders.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “Yeah, I am.” He took her hands into his and pressed a kiss on her knuckles, just like he always used to do. As if this was normal. As if there was nothing wrong with this.

There _was_ nothing wrong with this. They were _betrothed,_ at the end. They would be husband and wife. They could hug, hold hands, cuddle, and kiss as much as and as publicly as they wished, without worrying about anyone seeing them.

Even the thought of it was enough to fill Kara’s chest with hope, so much so that she didn’t even _know_ where to put her hands.

“How?” she asked as he pulled her close. “I thought your parents… I never thought…” Her words were cut when he pressed his lips on hers.

She wasn’t even ashamed to admit she forgot everything for a second, even the questions milling around in her head.

“Me, neither,” Mon-El admitted when their lips parted, but then it was her pulling him close. “But there were some issues in Daxam—“ She ran her fingers through his hair as she bit his lower lip. “And we needed Krypton’s assistance—“ His arm went around her waist to tug her to his chest. “And they needed to strengthen our alliance.”

Only then he pulled back, a huge smile playing on his lips. “I guess we just got lucky, huh?”

Oh, _lucky_ didn’t even begin to describe this. She felt tears prickling in her eyes as she moved her hand to the nape of Mon-El’s neck.

“I was so afraid,” she admitted. She’d tried to put on a brave face, she’d tried to pretend like losing Mon-El wouldn’t break her heart completely, but she’d been _terrified_ of the moment they’d have to break up. She’d been _terrified_ of living without him. And now to have him back in the best way possible. “I thought I could never be with you again.”

He offered her a small smile, even though fear was shining in his eyes too. “Yeah?” She only nodded as she didn’t trust her voice. He reached up to wipe away one of her tears. “Have I told you how beautiful you looked when you cried?”

She choked out a laugh, burying her face to his shoulder. “Shut up,” she retorted in a muffled voice. “I’m just happy.” She realized just how true it was when she wrapped her arms around his waist.

He hugged her back almost immediately. “I love you, princess,” he whispered inside her ear. Her heart stuttered in her chest. “My princess.”

She rolled her eyes at those words, no matter how endearing they felt. Her hands went up to cup his cheeks.

“My prince,” she mused back, offering him a small wink. He chuckled lightly. “I love you, too.” He pulled her into another kiss, a sweet, long kiss that promised a long life together, by each other’s sides.

(And if their parents didn’t understand how they could get all close and smiley in a matter of hours when they returned back to the throne room… Well, neither Mon-El nor she could blame them for it. It wasn’t like they knew how special this relationship was for them.)


	3. Wedding Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so sorry this took too long to update, but school and other stories got in the way, and then I realized that... "oh, there are all those stories I should've written." And then I said, "How about I get to them?" lol. But also this is my exam week, and I really needed to write something fluffy, and this story was like a ball of glittery fluff so it seemed like the best choice. Anyway, I'm hoping to update the next chapter faster, and... I hope you like this one!
> 
> p.s. also, please send me whatever luck you have, because my school assigned me 6 finals in 3 days and i'm kind of dying right now....sooooo yeah. :) thankssssss

_**** _

_**2 months later** _

“And let’s put the flowers…” Kara spun around in the garden, frowning at the empty places, before her eyes settled on the fountain. A smile pulled her lips. “There. Let’s put the flowers there. And remember, I want them to be pink and blue. While red might be a really good color to represent love, it’s way too intense for this wedding.” _And red had never been our color,_ she couldn’t help thinking. Red was too bright and rich for secret meetings, so she mostly wore light blue or soft pink dresses that would blend in with the people of Krypton. And a whole lot of black, but she didn’t think black would be a good color for a wedding.

She shook off her thoughts to focus on the job at hand and looked around the garden, the seated tables, the altar, to make sure everything looked well and perfect. “I want candleholders at every table,” she told the nearest servants. “The wedding will probably lead into the night, and we don’t want people to be left in dark. That also means lanterns on trees. A whole lot of them. And again, _no red._ I don’t care what my father ordered you to use, it is _my_ wedding.” She took a deep breath and put her hand over her forehead to calm herself down.

_It’s just a wedding,_ she thought. But… Well, in all honesty, it wasn’t _just_ a wedding. It was her and Mon-El’s wedding. After about two months of being engaged, two months of wedding preparations, invitations, deciding on the dress, the ring, her new _crown—_ Rhea had insisted that if Kara was to be the princess of both Krypton _and_ Daxam, she should have a crown that represented both kingdoms—they were finally getting married…tomorrow. And Kara…she wanted it to be perfect. She wasn’t the type of girl that always dreamed about her wedding day. At the end, she hadn’t even known whether she’d marry someone that she actually loved.

Until Mon-El, that is.

Mon-El… He made her want to be _that girl._ The girl who dreamed about her wedding, who pictured the setting, who picked the songs and the dresses and everything…who wanted it to be perfect. It was crazy that something that didn’t use to matter to her at all became one of the most important things in her life.

She had Mon-El and his damn adorable handsomeness and ridiculous kindness to blame for that. He’d made her fall head over heels for him, and now she turned into one of those sappy girls who dreamed of a perfect relationship. Mon-El would probably disagree with her on that— _falling in love with someone doesn’t change the fact that you’re a kickass princess and future queen every kingdom would be lucky to have,_ he always used to say.

They’d never imagined, though, that that kingdom he was talking about would be _his._

Butterflies fluttered in Kara’s stomach with that thought, and she found herself smiling again. Being kickass and being in love. Yep, she could definitely do both.

Her attention was turned to the preparations made around her when she saw a girl carrying red rose petals. _Damn it._ “Hey!” she called out, almost scaring the poor girl. “No red petals! I think I made that pretty clear _about a hundred times._ So please—Mon-El, if you even _think_ about scaring me right now, I might punch you in the face.” She changed her words the moment she felt said prince lurking behind her.

There had been a time Mon-El had been really good at scaring her—namely, in the first couple of months of their relationship, especially when they were sneaking around. Now, though… It was as if she _felt_ his presence whenever he was close that he didn’t stand a chance in scaring her.

“Damn. How did you know I was here?”

“Well, I, Prince Gand, have my ways,” Kara was just saying when she saw one of the servants misplacing a flower. She turned to him immediately. “Hey, those flowers go on top of the tables. It’s the pink roses that go next to the fountain. Thank you.” She sighed with exhaustion, rubbing her temples to calm herself down.

Until she felt Mon-El’s arms wrapping around her waist. She gratefully leaned back on him and placed her hands on his. “It seems like you have your hands full,” he whispered to her ear, kissing the spot under her ear soothingly. She groaned and rested her head on his shoulder.

“I never knew planning a wedding would be so _hard_. Making sure everything is where they need to be, that the flowers are correct and the lights are beautiful and the place is perfect… It’s exhausting. I mean, look at that.” She pointed at the pile of red roses to the side that would be returned to the castle after the preparations were done. “My father apparently ordered about a hundred red roses without asking me even though I _specifically_ said I didn’t want anything red. I’ve been trying to sort that out for the last hour.” She heard Mon-El chuckle with that. She looked over her shoulder at him. “What?”

“I never thought you were the kind of girl that dreamed about a perfect wedding.” Kara’s face softened with those words.

“I wasn’t,” she admitted, holding one of his hands and lacing her fingers through his. “Until you. The fact that we, the prince and princess of two big kingdoms, are marrying and in love is like a…a once in a hundred lifetimes kind of miracle. I don’t want to ruin it. I don’t want to miss my chance at a perfect wedding…and a perfect future.” She looked over him. “Is that too sappy?”

“In the best way possible,” he murmured, making her heart flutter, before pressing a small kiss on her lips. “And as much as I’d like you to stay here, in my arms…” That earned a pout from Kara, making him chuckle before he continued. “I came to say that your mother was looking for you. She asked me to come fetch you.”

Uh-oh. Queen Alura asking Mon-El, her betrothed prince, to get her? As much as she and Kara’s father had arranged this marriage together, they still weren’t completely okay with “selling” their daughter to a prince—that was what Alura called this marriage once, as untrue as it was—and Kara couldn’t think of a circumstance Alura would ask Mon-El to call for her. She could almost feel that this was serious.

“Am I in some sort of trouble?” she couldn’t help asking, sneaking out of Mon-El’s arms to turn to him. His brows were furrowed.

“I don’t know. You didn’t steal the wedding cake from the kitchen, did you?”

“What?” She hit him on the shoulder. “Of course not, you idiot.” She hit him again when he laughed. “Ugh, whatever. I’ll find it out myself.”

She was just about to walk away when Mon-El grabbed her wrist and pulled her to himself, sneaking in a quick kiss. Kara couldn’t help smiling, despite trying to fight it. God, Mon-El was way too damn cute for his own good. It should’ve been illegal.

“How about you go do that,” he whispered to her lips before pulling back, “and I make sure the preparations are done correctly.” Kara perked up.

“Yes,” she said, pointing at him. “Yes, that is a good idea.”

“Good.”

“You do that.”

“I will.”

“And I’ll see my mom.”

“You will.”

“And remember,” she said, walking back, pointing at him. A soft smile was resting on Mon-El’s face as he watched her. “No red.”

“No red,” he confirmed with a nod. She flashed him a smile.

“Thanks, babe.” Even as she spun around to rush inside the castle, she could feel him grinning at the nickname.

* * *

“Mother?” Kara asked as she knocked on her mother’s door. She pushed it open slowly. “You wanted to talk to me?” Alura lifted her head from her desk with her daughter’s voice. She smiled.

“Yes. Come in, dear.”

Kara tentatively stepped inside, assessing her mother’s smile. She didn’t look angry, per se. At least she wasn’t looking at Kara with judgment and contempt—and boy she’d seen that look too many times to know it well. In fact, the Queen of Krypton only looked…concerned. For what, though, Kara couldn’t even guess.

“Is something wrong?” Kara asked as she sat on the seat across from her mother. “Because I was taking care of the wedding preparations, as I promised—“

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Kara,” Alura assured her, leaning forward. Kara realized that she wasn’t wearing her queen expression. Right now, Alura was just a mother concerned about her daughter. “I just realized now that…as late as it may be…we forced this wedding on you.” Kara arched her brow with those words. She wouldn’t exactly call it _forced,_ but… “We never gave you a choice, when we gave one to Alex. And you were right when you told us that. I thought I was looking out for you by marrying you to a wealthy heir, but I didn’t realize that for you, love might come before titles. Just as it had done for me when I married Zor-El.”

Kara found herself smile at that. Basically the whole kingdom knew the story of Alura, the heir of Krypton, and Zor-El, a commoner. Granted, Zor-El’s family was wealthy, but everyone thought that Alura would be married off to the heir of some other kingdom. Until… Well, until Alura, as she always said, went to her parents and told them that Zor-El had stolen her heart.

It had been a miracle that her parents didn’t end the relationship.

It had been an even bigger miracle that Alura ended up marrying Zor-El.

But considering that their reign had brought Krypton to its golden era…no one was complaining.

“We don’t need this marriage right now, Kara,” Alura continued, taking the princess out of her thoughts. “We already have more than enough to sustain ourselves. You don’t have to go through with it. I just…” She took Kara’s hands in hers. “I just wanted to give you that choice that has once been given me.”

Kara’s smile softened. Her mother was giving her a way out of this, probably risking their alliance with Daxam, risking her kingdom…for the sake of her daughter. And if this was any other circumstance…if she was marrying anyone else but Mon-El…she’d have take her mother up on that offer. But she was marrying Mon-El.

And she already had love.

“Mother, it’s okay. I appreciate your concern, but… I want this marriage.” Alura arched her brow, obviously surprised.

“You do?”

“Yeah. And before you ask me, this isn’t me giving up love for the sake of being a Queen. I’m not choosing one over the other. I’m… I don’t have to choose.” A smile spread on her face—a genuine smile, filled with no doubts or hesitations. “I already love Mon-El.”

Now Alura seemed skeptical about it, and could Kara really blame her? The woman barely spent time with Mon-El, and the time she spent with his mother, _Rhea,_ had been…not very nice, to say the least. Kara imagined that that was one reason Alura offered to stop the marriage in the first place.

“He’s not like his mother, Mom,” Kara assured him. “He’s the sweetest guy you could ever meet. He’s caring and kind, he listens to me whenever I need him, and he does everything in his power to make me happy. I… When I’m with him, I don’t feel like the Princess of Krypton. I feel like a normal girl. Like… Kara.” Alura’s smile was almost tearful—almost, as the Queen managed to compose herself at the last second. She leaned forward to give Kara a hug.

“That was all I wanted for my little girl.” Kara smiled before she pulled back, knowing if there was anyone in this world who’d understand her perfectly, it would be Alura. _When I’m with Zor-El, I don’t have to be a queen,_ she always said. _I can just be myself._ “For you to be happy.”

“I am, Mother,” Kara assured her with a nod. “I—“ But her words were interrupted with a yell coming from outside.

“Hey! How many times do I have to repeat, the _white_ flowers go on top of tables. The _blue_ and _pink_ ones go around the _fountain_.” A soft smile pulled at Kara’s lips at her boyfriend’s will to make this a perfect wedding for her. “I’m not ruining this up for Ka—I mean, for your princess, okay?”

_Oh, Mon-El. As if anything with you could be bad._

Kara only turned away from the window when she realized she was staring at it absentmindedly for too long, and looked at her mother. “What?” she couldn’t help asking when she saw Alura’s smile. The queen shrugged.

“Nothing. He just…really loves you, doesn’t she?” Kara’s heart fluttered with love. She looked back at the window.

“Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, he does.”


	4. The Wedding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like this chapter :)
> 
> p.s. after this chapter, there'll be a short epilogue that i hope i can post by the end of next week, so stay tuned ;)

Kara had very recently found out that it was extremely hard to stay still when you were really excited…and panicking. She was having her makeup and hair done for the wedding— _her_ wedding, where she would be marrying _Mon-El_ —and she had to be as _still_ as possible not to ruin it, yet when her blood was buzzing and her heart was thundering, she just wanted to jump up to her feet, twirl around in her wedding dress, scream, do _something._

_It’s going to be fine,_ she tried to think as she stared at her expression. They’d been planning this wedding for _weeks._ The preparations were done, her vows were written and memorized, the orchestra was ready, the lights, the music, the dance… Everything was planned and practiced to perfection. She didn’t even _know_ just how many times she and Mon-El practiced their dance or walking down the aisle. But a practice done in pants and t-shirt in an empty ballroom was different than the _real thing._

She closed her eyes when her makeup artist—Aileen—started to do her eye makeup. The brush felt soft on her skin, and the hands braiding her hair felt light and soothing, yet even that wasn’t enough to calm her down. She huffed out an anxious breath.

Aileen chuckled. “Excited, my princess?” she asked. Kara opened one eye to look at her and bit her lip lightly—she didn’t want to ruin her lipstick.

“Excited. Stressed. Elated. Freaking out. Take your pick.” The girl laughed as her brush swept over Kara’s eyelid. “I just…” She grasped the arms of the chair. “I just want today to be perfect, you know.” _I’ve waited all my life for this,_ she couldn’t help thinking, yet she was afraid to voice the words as to not jinx anything. _I can’t let anything ruin it for me._

“Didn’t you say that Prince Mon-El loves you?” Aileen asked her, taking her out of her thoughts. She didn’t even have to think of the answer.

“Well, yeah, but…”

“Then tonight will be perfect no matter what.” Kara felt Aileen pull back with those words, clapping her hands together. “It’s done,” she said and stepped aside. Kara blinked her eyes open, looking at herself on the mirror. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked… She looked _beautiful._ Her makeup wasn’t heavy, per se, and her dress wasn’t overly embellished, yet that made it even better. She looked natural, with the faint pink blush tinting her cheeks, silver glitter softly brushed against her eyelids, the eyeliner over the eye shadow, and the shiny pink lip gloss… It was perfect for her. Perfect for…her and Mon-El. And her hair… It was pulled back into a tight bun, with a couple strands of it braided, and a white hair piece, shaped like a flower with diamonds on it, holding it back.

She had to force back her tears as to not ruin it. “It’s beautiful, girls,” she said to Aileen and the other girls, turning back to them. “Oh, my God, I’m gonna cry and ruin my makeup.”

“Your makeup wouldn’t actually be ruined, your highness,” Aileen said with a small smile. “It’s waterproof makeup. We thought some tears may be involved in the wedding, so…” A small laugh escaped Kara’s mouth as she nodded, playing with the skirts of her dress. It was a simple strapless dress, with only the glyph of Krypton embedded on the left side of its chest, with gems and several intertwining lines protruding from it, where the fabric of the dress met to create a layered look. It was simple yet elegant, and with her necklace and soft veil, it was the perfect look for a princess…and a happy bride. Because most of all, more than even Krypton and Daxam, this wedding was about her and Mon-El.

“That was… That was a smart choice,” she admitted to Aileen, blinking away her tears. “Thank you so much. This is more than what I could’ve wished for.”

“Anytime, my princess,” the girls said, backing away…before an idea popped into Kara’s mind.

“Wait!” She turned around to look at them. “Why don’t you come to the wedding, too?” The servants were working at the wedding, but as her makeup and hair crew, she doubted Alura had invited the girls. “If you don’t have dresses, you can get some of mine; I have too much to wear anyway. And…well, I guess you can do your makeup and hair yourself.” She offered them a small smile, especially as surprise splashed on the girls’ faces.

“Your Highness…” Aileen started, the obvious leader of the group, but Kara stopped her.

“It’s okay. I _want_ you to. You did my makeup and hair, after all, I think you deserve it.” She held up the skirt of her dress and walked up to her closet to open it. “Come on now. Don’t be shy. Take your pick.” She pulled back to give the girls room. Their eyes were shining and they were giggling as they entered the closet, looking around at the dresses. Kara just smiled at their enthusiasm. She was so happy, like dopey grin, butterflies in her stomach happy, that she just wanted to spread that happiness to everyone. And if that meant inviting the girls who helped her with her makeup and hair for all her life to her wedding, wearing her dresses…so be it.

The girls were just scurrying out of the room with happy smiles and shining eyes when someone else appeared by the door. Alex Danvers, her sister, dressed in a red lace dress with her short curls pulled away from her face. She knocked on the door lightly, offering Kara a small smile. “Am I allowed in?”

“Depends,” Kara said, spreading her arms and spinning around slowly. “Do I look beautiful?” Alex rolled her eyes, shutting the door behind her.

“Do you even _need_ me to tell you that?” Alex’s eyes traveled on her sister. “Mon-El is so going to lose his mind when he sees you.”

“Really?” Kara turned to the mirror, smoothing out her dress. Alex went behind her to put her chin on her shoulder.

“Really.” The sisters looked at each other on the mirror with smiles in silence, both of them processing the fact that Kara would be getting married in a couple of hours. It felt…almost unbelievable. Now that the rush of the preparations was done and there was nothing to do until the time came, the reality had actually set in.

“I’m marrying Mon-El,” she whispered, as if she needed to put it out there so that it would feel more real. “I’m _actually_ marrying Mon-El.” A huge grin broke out on Alex’s face as she nodded.

“You are. Who would’ve known my little sister would be wearing a ring before me?” Kara glared at her and elbowed her side. “Hey! I’m not complaining. It’s not like I’m in love with anyone, at least not in the way you and Mon-El are in love with each other.”

“You think we’re in love?” Kara asked, meekly moving to her bed where her sister patted her to sit. Alex rolled her eyes.

“Well, duh. Anyone who saw you making eyes and sheepishly smiling at each other would be able to tell. Though I suspect this whole being in love thing didn’t happen in the last two months that you were betrothed.” Alex arched her brow. Kara’s first instinct was to lie to that, as she always did—she was so scared of what could happen to her and Mon-El if their secret dates were found that she didn’t even _dare_ tell Alex, the person closest to her in this world. But Alex’s words stopped her. “You don’t need to lie, Kara. I won’t tell anyone. I’m not asking this as the heir of Krypton, I’m asking as your sister.”

It took Kara a couple of seconds of silence and hesitation to decide to tell the truth. She took a deep breath and stared at her gown. “We met about a year before the betrothal,” she admitted silently, “in a ball that my parents threw. I love my family and my kingdom, don’t get me wrong, but specifically that day… I was just so tired of all the rules and regulations and responsibilities of being a princess that I just… I just wanted to be normal. He…kinda gave me that chance.” A small smile inadvertently pulled Kara’s lips. “We’ve been secretly seeing each other since then.”

“Wow. That’s… Well, that’s enough time to fall in love with someone, I’d say.”

“Yeah,” Kara chuckled, but then her smile slipped off of her face as she frowned. “But it was more than that, you know. It was so _easy_ to fall for him. He made me feel like…like a normal, giddy teenager whose only worry is her grades in school, or what to wear the next day, or which café is better for studying. He made me feel like Kara, and I didn’t even realize just how _good_ that felt until I had that with him. I don’t know if that makes sense, but…” Alex wrapped her arms around Kara’s shoulders, pulling her close before the girl could get far.

“It makes perfect sense, Kara.” Kara couldn’t help laughing as she hugged Alex back.

“It almost feels like a fairytale, you know?” she admitted softly. “Like one of those epic love stories that get told for so many generations that everyone knows it. Like the modern version of…of Beauty and the Beast—though I think Mon-El might be a bit too hot to be the beast.” Alex arched her brow as she pulled back, looking at Kara suspiciously.

“ _Just_ a bit?” Kara hit her sister on the shoulder, yet she had to admit…

“Okay, maybe more than a bit. Whatever! What I was trying to say was that… It feels like a miracle.” Mischief disappeared from Alex’s eyes as she caressed Kara’s shoulder.

“Maybe it is,” she said with a shrug, as if it was that easy. “They do come around every now and then, you know.” Kara smiled and nodded, looking at her dress.

“Maybe,” she agreed. But she also couldn’t help thinking something else. _Or maybe the universe saw just how in love we were with each other and decided to give us a chance._

* * *

Mon-El always hated the idea of a marriage. Especially seeing what became of her parents. Her mother, Rhea, the former princess of Daxam, was married to Lar Gand, the second prince of Pharal, for purely political reasons, and now… Well, saying they hated each other wouldn’t even begin to describe it. Mon-El even doubted they slept in the same room, though the subject matter was never discussed. Seeing them, and knowing he was going to end up in the same position, the husband of some heir he didn’t even know, he despised the day that he would have to marry someone.

He had never imagined that he would be _excited_ on his wedding day, and even more than that, he would actually look forward to the moment he and his future wife would exchange the rings and wear their new crowns. Yet as unexpected as it was, the excitement didn’t come as a surprise to him. When it was Kara that he was marrying, Kara Danvers, the girl he loved with all of his heart, how could he be surprised that he was happy?

He still couldn’t believe that he was actually marrying Kara. It felt too good to be true, too…impossible. Good things rarely happened to him. He’d thought that his relationship with Kara would end eventually too, whether because she decided she didn’t love him anymore or because his parents found out. He dreaded the day that would happen, and a still optimistic part of him hoped it would never come, yet he was almost sure that his hope would get him nowhere. To actually have this now…

He slipped away from his thoughts to look at the clock, playing with his fingers anxiously. Five fifty. Which meant in about ten minutes, he and Kara would be walking to the altar with their parents by their sides. It was a custom for the Queen to hand her son or daughter to their future partner, implying that they were grown now, they could rule a kingdom, and they belonged to each other instead of their parents. In this case, because this was also a marriage between Daxam and Krypton, Queen Alura would give him a cloak in Krypton’s signature colors—red and blue—while his mother handed Kara a cloak in Daxam’s signature colors—black and grey—to signify that they didn’t belong to one kingdom anymore, they were the daughter and son of both Krypton and Daxam. At the end of the ceremony, with the rings, they’d also exchange crowns with the glyphs of both Daxam and Krypton to signify their power over both kingdoms.

But these were nothing but formalities for Mon-El. Those weren’t what made him happy. He could’ve married Kara in a desolate house, in t-shirts and jeans, with only a priest with them, and it would’ve still been perfect. As long as it was Kara that he was marrying, he would be happy.

Though he wasn’t complaining about the extravaganza at all. It made everything more magical, and every love needed a little magic sometimes.

“Stop fidgeting around,” his mother said, holding his arm to steady him. “It makes you look unprofessional.”

Mon-El bit back a retort and forced himself to not pull his arm back. “Sorry, mother,” he only muttered. The last thing he wanted now was to have a fight with Queen Rhea, just before his wedding, before the happiest day of his life.

“Even though you’re not happy, the least you can do is look put together. We don’t want Daxam to look bad.”

“Who said I wasn’t happy?” he couldn’t help saying this time, looking at his mother for the first time that day. He arched his brow in a challenging way. Rhea seemed almost too surprised to answer that, which happened so rarely that Mon-El couldn’t help feeling proud of it. He straightened up his shoulders. “If you wanted me to feel miserable in this marriage, you failed, Mother. I love Kara. I want to marry her. And there’s nothing you can do to stop this now.” He didn’t even bother looking at Rhea before the sound of the clock interrupted them. He smiled to himself. “It seems like it’s time.” He extended his arm to his mother so that she could slip her arm through it. Rhea looked… Well, angry didn’t even begin to describe her. Furious would be closer. Breathing fire…that might be the perfect description.

Mon-El was sure the woman would give hell for him after this wedding, but for now, he’d won—in more ways than one. Rhea had no choice other than walking him to the wedding, and even _she_ wouldn’t risk ruining Daxam’s alliance with Krypton by staying back. He couldn’t help grinning as his mother took his arm, albeit harshly, and they started walking down the path. The music started the moment they stepped into the wedding area. Mon-El looked up…and all his thoughts escaped his mind—even the pride he felt at beating his mother at this little thing—when he saw Kara on the other side of the path, walking with her mother by her side. It was the first time he saw her in her wedding gown, as it was deemed unlucky to see the bride before the wedding on the wedding day. He was so scared of jinxing it that he didn’t even take that risk. Another part of him also wanted her look to be a surprise, just like in all those movies that Kara found too cheesy but he still kinda liked. Yet the _surprise_ part might not be the best idea, because right now, looking at her, he felt like he couldn’t _breathe._ She looked…

She looked absolutely beautiful.

It wasn’t the kind of fake beauty that many people tried to achieve with heavy makeup and glamorous dresses, though. Even under all that makeup, even under her perfectly made hair and elegant dress, she was still Kara. The small smile that pulled her lips, the glimmer in her blue eyes, her confident posture, even the necklace—the one with a small comet, which he bought her, which was way underpriced for a wedding this big—that she chose to wear were all her. This was his Kara, in all her beauty and glory, and he couldn’t help remembering once again why he fell for her in the first place. Not because she was a princess, not because she was beautiful—well, those played a part as well, but still—but because no matter what she was true to herself.

One corner of his lips kicked up when his eyes met Kara’s, and he also noticed that her smile grew a bit wider. _This is finally happening!_ she seemed to be saying. _We’re finally getting married!_

He smiled back at her, reflecting her excitement, as they met in the middle and bowed to each other shortly. Alura lifted the cape in her hands, stepping forward to wrap it around Mon-El’s shoulders. He was all too glad that Rhea had to step back to give the Queen of Krypton some room.

Mon-El couldn’t help noticing that Alura’s eyes were shining more brightly than he ever saw before as she wrapped the cape around his neck. He always knew the woman was wary of him, and given the reputation of the royal family of Daxam, he couldn’t blame her. Everyone knew that for Daxamites, “promiscuous” was a compliment and _not_ having a mistress on the side was judged. Alura must’ve imagined Mon-El wouldn’t be different. And…there was a time of his life he _was_ that person, that Daxamite, yet it all changed when he met Kara. His goals, his wishes, his dreams… Well, maybe changed wasn’t the right word, though. Kara just made him realize the person he wanted to be instead of what was imposed on him in his kingdom.

He hoped to show that to Alura in the last couple of weeks, that Kara was and would be the only girl for him and he loved her with all his heart, and it seemed like the Queen finally caught up to that. “With this cape,” she announced, lifting her chin in that queenly, regal way, “I accept you to our family, Mon-El Gand of Daxam.” He smiled and bowed to the Queen respectfully as Alura continued, pretending to smooth the cape over his shoulders. She spoke so quietly that only he could hear it. “I know you love my daughter,” she whispered, “and I know that she loves you back. So please, whatever happens, take care of each other.”

A knot lodged in Mon-El’s throat. He could only nod as an answer. To have the acceptance of Kara’s mother… It was almost more than he could ask for.

Rhea repeated what Alura just did, minus the encouraging words, and before too long he was offering her arm to Kara. His heart was hammering in his chest, and he almost felt drunk of the whole situation. Yet he pushed through it, focusing on Kara, focusing on making this wedding perfect for her. “Shall we?” he whispered, repeating the words she’d said when she first found out about the betrothal. She couldn’t laugh outright at his words to seem professional, but he saw the laugh twinkling in her eyes.

“Yes, my prince.” She took his arm, guiding him down the aisle to the altar. In the back of his mind, Mon-El could hear that the orchestra’s music reached a crescendo, that the guests stood up from their seats, that the white rose petals were crunching under their feet, yet all his focus was on Kara. She was smiling at people, waving at them, and anyone with common sense could see how happy she was. Just the happiness oozing out of her made him happy, and being the one that put the smile on her face made him feel. He slid his hand into hers, squeezing it, hoping just that small gesture would be able to convey his feelings.

She squeezed back almost immediately, as if she understood him.

They took their places at the altar, facing each other, though still holding their hands. The castle’s priest took her place right next to them, gesturing at the orchestra to lower the music as she started talking.

“We are gathered here, not only to celebrate the union of Mon-El Gand, Prince of Daxam, and Kara Danvers, Princess of Krypton, but also the union of Krypton and Daxam in an alliance that will last through generations.” A brief applause punctuated her speech. “Now, if you’re ready, we will get the rings to—“

Kara stopped her by clearing her throat. “Actually… We would like to say a couple of words before that. We’ve written our own vows.” The priest arched her brows at the soon-to-be husband and wife at that. Not that anyone could fault him. It was very rare for there to be vows in a royal wedding. Not that vows weren’t a custom part of weddings. It was just that…marriages between members of royal families were rarely a result of true love. They were mostly unwanted and for the purpose of an alliance. Nobody even bothered to write vows for that.

That was one reason, though, that Kara and Mon-El wanted to do the vows. They didn’t want this to feel like a royal wedding. They wanted to show the world that this marriage was more than an alliance for them, that they were actually in love.

“Well, go ahead, then,” the priest said, a smile playing on her lips despite her surprised look. Mon-El turned to Kara, his heart fluttering, and he ignored the anger shining in his mother’s eyes or the soft look on Kara’s parents’ faces. He focused on Kara and only on Kara. His Kara. His love.

The words that he’d written meticulously and spent days to memorize tumbled down his lips easily, every word filled with as much love as he felt. “Kara Danvers… Princess of Krypton… You know, I’ve never seen you as that. As a princess. For me, you were always just…Kara.” A soft chuckle escaped Kara’s lips at that. Soft and teary, as a veil of tears fell over her eyes. “My clumsy, funny, smart, witty, kind, beautiful Kara. You know, for someone who lost his hope on love, it was almost too easy to fall in love with you. And maybe I stopped believing in love in the first place so that I could find my way to you, because I wouldn’t want to be with anyone but you.” He lifted his hand when he saw a tear slid down her cheeks. He quickly caught it with his thumb and wiped it away, offering a soft caress on her cheek as well.

“I’m glad I went with waterproof makeup,” she whispered in a voice only he could hear. He couldn’t help laughing at her words. Kara always managed to make him laugh, didn’t she?

Kara straightened up before she started her words, one corner of her lips tipped up. “Mon-El Gand… The first day we met was the first day I truly felt like myself outside of my family and my title. You made me feel like myself, and I craved it so much that I wanted to spend every day with you. Now that I think about it… It’s no surprise that I fell for you.” She was smiling at that, mischief shining in her eyes, yet they turned serious quickly. “And that’s one reason I don’t want us to become one of those royal couples that don’t feel anything for each other. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together and in love, and if there’s any couple that can do it, it’s us. Because I don’t think it’s a miracle that we’re marrying now. It’s a gift from the universe for our love.”

_A gift from universe…_ Mon-El’s chest felt tight with tears, yet they weren’t sad tears. They were happy; _he_ was happy. He was the _happiest_ he’d been.

_A gift…_ He held onto that thought as they slipped the rings on their fingers, as they wore their brand new crowns, as Kara pulled him into their first dance as husband and wife…and future King and Queen of Daxam. And he couldn’t help thinking that Kara had been right. This wasn’t a miracle.

_A gift,_ he thought. _I can agree with that._


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sooooo one more story comes to an end, and i'm gonna be honest, i've written so many AU stories that at this point i'm used to saying goodbye to the universes i put Karamel in. but this story had a special place in my heart, because i've always been a fan of princess stories, but most of all i felt like in this story Kara and Mon-El had such a pure, genuine, strong love that I felt bonded to it. i hope you feel the same way too :)
> 
> and i hope you like this little epilogue that i wrote for it ;)

“…and they lived happily ever after.” Queen Jayna closed the book in her hand after she read the last sentence, turning to her daughter, who was lying next to her and listening to the story. The eight-year-old girl was so close to sleeping, with her blond hair fallen over her face and her hands tucked close to her chest. Her eyes flickered open when the story ended to look at her mother. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I was just thinking,” Corina said, pushing herself off the bed slightly to look at her mother. “About Kara and Mon-El.” Jayna arched her brow.

“What about them?”

“Are they real, Mama?” Corina asked, reaching for the book in her mother’s hand: the book that told the story of Kara and Mon-El, the first King and Queen of the joint kingdom of Krypton and Daxam, who not only created an empire built on technological advancement and social equality that lasted strongly for over a millennia, but also had a legendary love story that was told over so many generations that they became a fairytale known to everyone. Yet every fairytale came with people doubting their reality, and Kara and Mon-El’s story was no different. There were a lot of people who doubted they really existed, thinking the two were only created to give Krypton and Daxam a unifying common love story.

But Jayna and her wife, Hylda, the new Queens of Krypton and Daxam, knew better. They knew Kara and Mon-El were very much real, and they really had that legendary love everyone talked about. It was a fairytale…in real life.

“Yes, they are, sweetie,” Jayna said, caressing her daughter's hair. Corine’s eyes shone.

“So I can have a love like that, too?” Jayna laughed.

“Yes, of course. As long as you want it.” Corine’s worried face turned into a smile with that, and finally, it seemed like she lost the battle with sleep. Her head had already fallen on the pillow by the time Jayna was saying good night.

The Queen slowly left the room to go to her own bedroom, thinking about what her daughter asked. She’d wondered the same thing when she was young, too, and at the age of eighteen, she asked her father the same question. The man had given her the very book she just read to her daughter.

_There’s a letter in the beginning of the book. From Kara and Mon-El. Read it, and you’ll have your answer._

Jayne had read it so many times that she almost memorized it, yet when she arrived her room, she couldn’t help opening the book again to read the letter.

_Dear person reading this letter now,_

_Years, decades, maybe centuries later, we know that our story will either be forgotten, or will live on as a fairytale that many people won’t believe in. That’s okay for us, and we’re not writing this challenge to tell you to change that belief. To be legends has never been a bad thing. We just want you, as the future Queen or King of Daxam, to know that the stories they tell about us and our love, no matter how exaggerated they might sound or how many people say they are made up, are real. We want you to know that, so that you don’t give up on love. So that you know you don’t have to marry for alliance, and that you always have the choice to marry for love. Don’t believe in people who say that love doesn’t exist for people like us, who have a kingdom to rule. Everyone deserves love._

_And when you have your own children, give this book to them when they reach the age of eighteen, so that they learn the same thing. We’ve fallen in love when we were eighteen, and we didn’t know then that we were allowed to have that love. But we’ve learned better, and we don’t want anyone else to feel the same fear and hopelessness we once did._

_King Mon-El and Queen Kara of Krypton and Daxam_

Jayne smiled at herself and pressed the book over her chest, looking up. _Thank you,_ she thought silently. _Thanks to you that I’ve found my love._

She hoped that one day, her daughter would find the same thing.


End file.
